Move Could Shut Out Public Market

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We've heard word of another setback to the proposed Portland Public Market, which has already changed its desired location twice in the past year. The PDC issued a press release Friday, Nov. 9, that stated it would vote to suspend its request for information process while the federal government decides whether to transfer the historic 511 Broadway Building directly to the Pacific Northwest College of Art, which has been pursuing the 511 Broadway Building for more than a year.

The move would temporarily shut out the efforts of Public Market Consulting Director Ron Paul and friends, who also fancy the 511 Building to showcase the year-round food-focused public market. The group has wanted to land in an iconic Portland building for nearly a decade—though the exact starting point of said effort has been the subject of debate in recent weeks. Read my recent column on the subject, here.

PNCA will apply for an Educational-Use Transfer, which allows the General Services Administration to sell directly to an educational facility without having to go through a competitive process through PDC.

PNCA hopes to have a decision from the feds within eight months.

The Historic Public Market Foundation had unveiled a plan in late September to team with real estate developer Melvin Mark to occupy the ground floor of the building—announcing the plan just a couple of days prior to a fundraiser in the market's previous proposed location, Union Station.

Regardless of how the PNCA proposal plays out, it's unlikely Union Station will be revived as a site for the public market. That's a shame—we were hoping the timeshare with Amtrak would look like this Bangkok market:
[youtube 1aZFetrUEo0]

"In the low usage areas, we found that our vehicles sit idle four times longer, ultimately affecting overall vehicle availability for the Portland membership base, as well as parking for the Portland community."

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